NYFF Review: Saraband

Filmbrain's immediate reaction after watching Saraband, Ingmar Bergman's latest (and purportedly last) film, was that this should be required viewing for every filmmaker (and screenwriter) under the age of forty. It's been a while since Bergman has given us a film of such intensity, and though the production values are far from his best (this is a made for TV film, shot entirely in a studio, and it looks it) the dialog, acting, and way in which the drama unfolds is echt Bergman. Time and old age has not softened him a bit, and the film is a reminder that no amount of PoMo posturing can compare to the power of what a couple of great actors with brilliant dialog can do. A sequel of sorts to his 1973 masterpiece Scenes From a Marriage, Saraband is bookended by the continuing story of Marianne and Johan (Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson, beautifully reprising their roles). As the film begins, Marianne has decided to pay Johan a visit after not seeing him for thirty-plus years. Older, but not necessarily wiser, Johan is still quite cantankerous around Marianne, and though he might not show it, is happy to have her around. From there, the story quickly drifts to Henrik (Börje Ahlstedt), Johan's son from another marriage, and Karin (Julia Dufvenius), his teenage daughter. Henrik is still suffering from the death of his wife Anna, who died two years earlier. To say that Johan and Henrik have a contentious relationship is an understatement -- if it weren't for his granddaughter, Johan would have no use for Henrik. Karin, a gifted cellist about to enter the conservatory, is being taught by Henrik, who has her life already planned out. Karin has other ideas for her future, but feels a responsibility towards her grieving dad, even though their relationship extends beyond normal father-daughter relations. With nowhere else to go, she turns to Marianne, who feels compelled to help Karin through her predicament. Consisting of ten scenes with chapter headings (each scene a different pairing of characters), Saraband is structured much like a theatrical piece, though we could never get as close to the characters on-stage as we do in the film, given the small spaces many of the scenes are set in. The nature of the conflict here is less "meaty" than earlier Bergman -- there are no crises of an existential or religious nature. The issues at stake are familial responsibility, loneliness/isolation, and the struggles of being an artist -- all of which Bergman has addressed in the past. Though it may not burn as white-hot as his earlier films, several sequences are as powerful as anything he did back in his prime. Special note must be made of Ms. Dufvenius's performance -- it's not many young actresses that can hold their own against such greats as Ullmann, Josephson and Ahlstedt. As for the old couple, Marianne and Johan are still struggling with love, and the infidelity that ultimately broke up their marriage. Though neither has the strength to fight as they did thirty years ago, there are wounds that time did not heal. (For anyone familiar with Scenes From a Marriage, it is nearly impossible to watch the first scene between the two without welling up a little -- Filmbrain certainly did.) Like the slow, dignified dance it is named after, Saraband, unfolds in a deliberate, measured pace, and the result is a perfect farewell from one of the greatest directors of our time.

Comments

[phyrephox]

Well put, great review. I thought I saw some muted crisis of religion in the glorified image and memory of Anna-whose picture had the burden of idealized perfection, love, and harmony.